Old Soul
by scarlett the starlet
Summary: John Murphy is certain of one thing, he's not alone in this bunker anymore. AU from 3x01. Murphy/OC
1. I Prologue

**AN: I don't really know why I decided to post this but I'm kinda curious as to how it'll play out. This is just a prologue, I may or may not continue it but heh. I hope y'all like this. This story starts within the time skip from 2x16 to 3x01.**

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It had been 60 days since John Murphy got locked inside the lighthouse bunker. 30 days since he'd seen the sun, 60 days since he'd seen Jaha. 60 days since he'd seen Emori. 60 agonizing days.

But despite the long days, he starts his morning routine. He pours the packet of oats in the bowl. Turns on the heater and waits. The food here is just as bland as the food from the Ark but he doesn't complain. He is still alive and kicking after all.

The routine goes without an issue; he finishes his bowl of oats and proceeds to shower. He quickly gets dressed, thinking he had anywhere to go but he really didn't. He jumps on the couch, replaying the morbid clip again. He's seen it so many times he'd lost count. The clip ends with a gunshot. Then his ears pick up some kind of other noise.

He swears he hears something grumbling below the bunker. He must've been here for weeks now, a prisoner to the safe house. He hears it again, slow footsteps this time. He takes a rebar rod, raising it, ready to swing if the intruder attacked.

He hears a cry. He slowly makes his way toward the source of the noise. He sets the rebar rod down as he moved the carpet from its place. There was a hatch under him and he didn't even notice. It could be a way for him to escape. He pulls up the hatch, and cold air hits him. The cold could probably be likened to winter, but Murphy didn't really experience winter so he's unsure. Once he adjusts to the cold, he takes his rebar rod again, preparing to hit anyone in the hatch.

He descends, turning a sharp left. He couldn't believe his eyes. In front of him was a pod, it had been responsible for the cold air. He sees several screens, displaying vitals of some sort.

A cough echoed, and a soft thud. His head whips to see where the noise had come from. And he sees her. She's on the ground, wheezing and coughing, he could see her shivering too. He approaches her slowly, steps silent so he doesn't frighten her.

The girl coughs again and then sniffles. Her back is turned to him so she doesn't see him coming. She's crying.

Before she says anything else, she succumbs to the cold and passes out. He realizes this as soon as her breathing had become slow and even. Careful not to wake her up, he sets down the rebar rod and comes closer. He couldn't just leave her here in the cold, despite everything; he still had a conscience after all. Besides, the girl might know how to get out of here and she can't really help him if she's dead.

Knowing he had no other choice, he carries her up, putting her over his shoulder. She is a very short girl. Once he returns to the top part of the bunker, he sets her down on the couch. He takes a seat in the couch adjacent to her.

He notices her short and choppy hair first. In the dark, he thought it had been black but once he'd seen the light it was a dark blue hue. He'd heard about hair dyes but he hasn't seen a single grounder use it. He starts thinking, how long has she been here? Who was she? Where was she from? He doesn't have answers.

But John Murphy is certain of one thing, he's not alone in this bunker anymore.

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 **AN: That's all for now, comments and criticisms are welcome. Help me improve this story if y'all want more. :)  
**


	2. II New World

**AN: I decided to continue this bc why tf not y'know? Lmao. Let me know if there are any improvements I need to do.**

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She stays asleep for days; Murphy isn't quite sure what to do. He's getting impatient, he needs to get out. He's sick of this place. But her breathing keeps him sane somehow. He doesn't know why but it helps him. Maybe she'll wake up and they'll get out of here. He wonders how she'd been able to survive. How her life was like. As strange as it was, he finds himself drawn to the girl.

He plays the clips over and over again, the story of how the world ended is now drilled into his head. Jaha may have been brainwashed but Murphy isn't having it. He feels somewhat sorry for the old man. But it is his fault they got here so he's not as sorry anymore. And he'd killed people before they got here. Saying it was their destiny but he calls bullshit on that one.

He observes the girl, her choppy blue hair is a sure fire way of saying she wasn't a grounder. She had two necklaces, one with a small cube with a stone in it, and the other a sort of double infinity symbol. She had scrubs on, with Becca's corporate logo in the breast pocket. Then he remembers she had been so cold when he carried her up. Her face had been tinted a pale blue but when he looks over to her now, her skin is less pale and more of a caramel color.

He counts the days; it's been 9 days since he found the girl. 9 days since she'd been conscious. He's starting to feel hopeless. She might never wake up again. He worries that he'll never get out of here. But he holds on to the tiny sliver of hope. Maybe, just maybe, once she wakes up she'll find an escape route and they'll be free.

He chides himself. Who was he kidding? He doesn't even know her. And neither does she. Who was he to think he'd get her help? Still, he's as stubborn as he is cynical, he could use her.

It doesn't take long and a wave of sleepiness hits him. He succumbs to it.

Hours later, his eyes flutter open. He adjusts his bleary eyes and by the time he fully wakes up, the girl was gone. He checks the doors but they were still shut. He rushes to find her. To ask her the countless questions in his mind.

Spotting her in the bedroom, he treads slowly toward her. She doesn't look at him. He could hear her crying. He isn't sure how to feel. Comforting people has never been and never will be his strong suit.

"I'm sorry," her voice is shaky. She's sitting on the edge of the bed, back hunching.

"For being in a coma for 9 days?" He asks. She's fumbling with the cube pendant.

"I tried to stop her, Jules." He remembers that line from Chris, the man from the tapes. He quickly wonders who Jules was. He stays quiet for a beat, collecting his thoughts.

"I'm not Jules." He replies softly, trying not to upset her. He doesn't know why he feels the need to do it but he does it anyway. She stiffens at this statement but she doesn't comment further about it.

She laughs, shakily. "My eyes must be playing tricks on me." Her voice and the way she speaks didn't sound like a grounder's.

She doesn't raise her head but he knows she's wiping her tears away. "So who are you?"

"John Murphy." He answers flatly.

"Which one do you prefer being used?" She prods.

"Surname," She nods. She straightens her back and faces him. "And you are?" He continues.

"I'm Cleo," she holds out a hand for him to shake. He takes it and gives a firm nod. He releases her hand as quickly as he took it.

"I'll ask you one more question, if you allow me to." She seems hesitant, he observes.

"Sure. I haven't talked to anyone in nearly 70 days anyway." He relents. She doesn't comment on this but she seems to be in deep concentration. She clutches the chain around her neck and fumbles with the small cube pendant yet again.

"What year is it?"

* * *

A few seconds have passed. Then a minute. Then several minutes. He doesn't know how long it takes him but the number is on his tongue, he's hesitating to say it.

"2150." He doesn't know why it takes him a while to answer but he finally does.

"97 years since you left Earth." She does the math in her head. She talks to him as if she knows who he is. But that would be impossible. He hasn't seen her before.

"You? I was born in space." He retorts. She stops at this. A tear falls down from her cheek. She mumbles something but he couldn't quite grasp what it was. Despite his confusion, he keeps a blank face.

"I was born in 2036." She whispers. Murphy's ears couldn't quite believe what they were hearing. 2036 is over a hundred years ago. How did this person survive for that long?

"Are you crazy?" Murphy gives her an once-over, she didn't look like it but she might be psychotic. Or just really out of her mind.

"No. I'm guessing those clips of Chris didn't explain what happened to me." She sighs.

"Then do explain." Murphy replied. How was this possible anyway?

Almost as if she'd read his mind she says. "I was cryogenically preserved." At this he looks confused. He isn't very well-read, the Ark didn't have a massive library and his arrest didn't help much either.

She seems to be deep in concentration once more. He waits for her answer. But she's become silent.

"What does that mean?" He doesn't hesitate to ask anymore. He's genuinely curious now.

She draws out an even breath and says, "I was frozen for 97 years, Murphy. I would've been long dead if they didn't freeze me."

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 **AN: And that's formally the first chapter! Feel free to leave a comment and help me improve this story. Thank you for reading! :)**

 **Also, I know it seems a little far-fetched but the technology to freeze people exists already, and with a brilliant mind like Becca, I'm sure she could find a way to revive them somehow.**

 **Edit: My timeline is extremely messed up. Went back through it to change it.**


	3. III Guilt

**AN: Here is the second chapter. I hope I did some justice lmao. Comments and criticisms are welcome as always! :)  
**

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He doesn't know how to respond to that and so he drops the subject. They share silence for a few moments. Cleo stands up but Murphy remains rooted in his place.

"Do you know how to get out of here?" He asks. He doesn't feel the need to be closed off. He needs answers. He didn't care about keeping up with appearances. She doesn't know about his class A jerk personality anyway.

"Only through the doors." She points out. "They're sealed so that only certain controls can open them up." Cleo tries to think if anyone had left out an emergency exit plan or route but her memories don't give her any ideas.

"Do you have the controls then?" Murphy tries to hide the desperation in his voice but his freedom mattered more than his pride right now.

"I..." She pauses. "Need a shower." When she thinks about it, her nose wrinkles in disgust. 97 years in the same clothes, it's gross. And frankly, Cleo didn't need to be reminded twice.

Murphy couldn't help but chuckle. She had said something so out of the loop and it just catches him off guard.

"I'm serious, though." She smiles lightly. He might be no Jules but Murphy manages to set her at ease. "Once I do that, we come up with a plan." She tries to assure him, and herself. Hopefully she sounds convincing enough.

"Sounds good." He nods. If he caught her uncertainty, he didn't comment. She doesn't say anything else. He is left with his thoughts. Instead of dwelling on them, he goes to the kitchen for food.

* * *

Cleo scrubs her skin raw. As if it'll wash off every ounce of guilt in her system. The guilt of being the only one left. Peri had died in space. Chris had killed himself. She'd seen the clip once. She couldn't bear a replay. And Becca, she's dead too. Everyone she'd known is dead. Especially Jules. Goddamned Jules. And her family. All of them, dead.

Scrubbing provides a good distraction though. She lathers soap on herself then proceeds to dump a dollop of shampoo onto her hand before massaging her scalp.

She steps into the shower once more to rinse off. The stuff they put here were relatively untouched, despite Murphy's 2 months of residency so she knew where certain things were. She wraps the towel on her body after she finishes drying herself off.

Heading to the bedroom, she looks for the closet. And laughs. The closet is not completely untouched. Murphy must've took some stuff. She searches for her clothes and finds them at the back behind Chris' old clothes. A pang of sadness hits her.

"Hey, I left you half the oatmeal—"' Murphy stops himself. He hadn't bothered knocking thinking she'd been finished dressing up. But she isn't. The only thing covering her is the thin towel. Her hair dripping slightly as she peruses through the closet.

Cleo turns to him. "Thanks. I'll get dressed and meet you in the kitchen." She says nonchalantly.

Murphy doesn't think twice and leaves the room. He didn't need to deal with any sort of awkwardness. Besides, she is over a hundred years old. The thought alone disturbs him. He sits idly in the kitchen thinking if she'd come up with a plan. He chides himself again as she comes out of the room. She's clad in all black from her shirt down to her boots. Her hair wasn't as choppy as before, but rather curly.

She's silent as she sits across him and takes the bowl. She doesn't complain as she quickly swallows the oats spoon by spoon. He doesn't comment. He doesn't take much time eating the oats either.

"This is bland." She comments before she takes the last spoonful and swallows. She needs to get out of here. And get real food.

"It is. But hey, we're still alive. You, 97 years after and that goes without eating." He says off-handedly.

She laughs. "Well now that I'm fed and clean, I'm thinking I can try to see what technology is available here." Cleo tries to recall if they'd installed a system here. There had been one. By the repair area.

"I don't think there's any left, aside from the TV. There are tech hunters around and they probably stole it already." Murphy says. Cleo makes a face. A mix between a pout and some sadness.

"There should be a computer somewhere." She's trying to convince herself more than she's convincing Murphy.

"We'll look for one then." He pauses. "Don't get your hopes up too much. I don't really want to see another breakdown." He adds. He figures if he didn't stress her out too much, she'd come up with something. But it isn't just because of that. He really didn't want to see another crying session because he knows he isn't a comforting type.

They search the whole bunker. Even the hatch. But all that they had managed to find were Cleo's other things.

"You wear glasses?" He picks it up from the table where the screens were. He rests his weight on the table.

"Thank you!" She smiles widely at him, her brown eyes twinkling. His breath catches. He keeps his mask on, though. He tries to convince himself the smile had been toward the glasses and not him. He shakes the feeling off. "And yes, I wear them. Looking at screens all day strains the eyes." She says as she takes the spectacles from his hand. She puts them on and sighs in relief. At least something is right.

She looks through all the boxes but all she finds are food items nearly 100 years past their expiration date.

"Is that food?" He queries as she carries the box toward the table.

She nods. "But we can't eat them." Murphy looks disappointed. She mulls for a bit. "I'll try some and see if they're any good."

"What if it kills you?" He questions. She'd been awake for a day and if she dies because of getting poisoned, he will have to live with her corpse. The thought makes him cringe. It wouldn't be pleasant. Rotting dead bodies weren't exactly good company.

"It's either that or we starve." She points out. She had a good point, really but he didn't particularly enjoy thinking his only chance of escaping would slip away because she'd died. He doesn't say anything, letting her decide instead. He'd never been good at making decisions anyway.

"Okay, we leave it at the table. If we come short, I'll have no choice but to see if we can make use of this." She looks at him with familiarity but he doesn't reciprocate this look. Cleo reminds herself he isn't who she thought he was.

"You okay?" Murphy couldn't really help but question the look she's giving him. It'd been somewhat warm and kind. He isn't used to it. And he doesn't want to be.

"Yeah. Of course." She straightens her posture and adjusts her shirt. A habit she'd developed long ago.

"Let's get back up." Murphy's gruff voice brings her back from her spaced out state.

She nods, mumbles a "Sorry," and adjusts her glasses. Murphy hears this and nods in return. He climbs up the stairs with Cleo behind him.

"Hey," he looks at her direction when they get back to the living room area. "we'll get out of here one way or another." When he'd said that, it fills Cleo with newfound hope. At the very least, she isn't in this fight alone.

"We will." She confirms, looking away when his gaze meets hers.

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 **AN: Did I do this right?! Please tell me lmao.  
**


	4. IV Parallel

**AN: Hey everyone, this is the fourth chapter, just a few chapters before the real action begins. Hope y'all like it. Comments and criticisms are welcome. :)**

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Murphy and Cleo settle into a routine quite easily. Cleo doesn't comment on his habit of replaying the video clips. Murphy doesn't comment on her stiffness whenever she looks toward the screen. They take turns making breakfast. Their only meal. Cleo doesn't mind his drinking. She'd even join him at times.

The clip of Becca and A.L.I.E. together makes Cleo irrationally angry. Murphy doesn't pay any attention to her but has his eyes transfixed on the screen.

"The world ended because of human greed." Cleo says, expression blank.

"Yeah?" Murphy doesn't look away from the screen. He continues to watch the creator and her creation interacting.

"We were another kind of savage. We sucked the life of every place we've gone to. Exploited everything 'til nothing was left." Cleo takes the glass from his hand and pours herself a drink. Murphy observes her as she'd spoken.

"Well don't worry, the people now aren't that different." Murphy assures in a joking manner.

"That'll be our downfall." She giggles. "Guess why the human race got wiped out?" She questions him.

"They were assholes?" He quips, taking the glass from her hand and downing the remaining alcohol.

"No," she takes the glass again and pours more alcohol. She downs half of the drink. "Because they're idiots and they never learn." Cleo laughs to herself.

"Assholes and idiots, that's 99% of the world." Murphy adds and he takes the glass yet again, downing the remaining half.

"Consider me 99%," Cleo whispers and doesn't bother taking the glass from him anymore and just drinks straight from the bottle. Murphy laughs. "I'll have to agree." He doesn't let her finish drinking and he takes the bottle for himself.

"One, you're an idiot for taking my drink. And two, that was an asshole move." She chides.

"You're not getting drunk alone, idiot. You'd be an asshole to leave me sober while you get wasted." He throws the words right back at her.

"Good point," she's slurring her words now but lets him have a drink. Then she grabs it from under his nose and drinks some for herself.

"Wanna watch a movie?" He suggests, he's more than tipsy too but rather more stable than Cleo. She gives him the bottle, rather pushing it to his chest as she giggles uncontrollably.

"You mean the end of the world?" Cleo queries drunkenly as she stumbles toward the television and shuffles the stuff lying around.

"Yeah let's get wasted with these home movies," Murphy raises the bottle and sinks on the couch. Cleo shoves a small chip into the player and sits right next to Murphy. They keep a distance but it disappears soon as Cleo passes out and rests her weight on Murphy.

Before he could move her, the video starts playing. He shifts slightly and ends up having Cleo on his lap. He releases an irritated sigh but he doesn't bother budging anymore but rather begins focusing on the video dated all the way back on the 23rd day of March 2051.

* * *

"Hey Chloé!" Short blonde hair whips and a sharp glare is directed at the camera. Murphy is sure that it was Cleo, with her necklaces and clad in a gray shirt and black sweatpants. She looked a little younger too. She's sitting by the balcony of a rather big house.

"Shut up, Julie." She hisses. The person behind the camera laughs. It was a deep chuckle, too deep to be a girl's anyway.

"Okay! Okay! Seriously Cleo, do you have to short circuit every time I mess up your name?" He says it exasperatedly.

"You do it intentionally, Jules, of course I'd lose my shit." She vents out, pushing her blonde hair out of the way. So the person behind the camera had been Jules.

"You look really good flipping that hair away. When are you switching colors again?" Jules comments as he shifts the camera. "Probably around May or so, we'll see." Cleo returns to her work, while Jules changes the angles again.

"What are you working on, by the way?" He focuses it on a bunch of papers.

"Stupid focus," he grumbles under his breath.

"Schematics, blueprints, plans to rule the world, just everything under the sun." Cleo says the last bit dryly.

"Oh of course, Cleo the Great, ruler of worlds and the queen of everyone, whatever shall I do?" Jules exaggerates every word while Cleo tries stifling her laugh.

Jules shifts back the camera to Cleo who'd already been standing. "Well, there's one thing you can do." Cleo smiles lightly, eyes twinkling with mischief. Then the video ends.

* * *

Murphy stays still for a few minutes before letting out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Cleo had had a normal life. He's jealous of it. But her normal life had disappeared and he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the girl. Who'd ever expect to be awake after 97 years of freeze therapy?

The sound of Cleo's breathing brings him back. The girl with him is the same as the girl from 2051. But at the same time it isn't. Knowing that everyone she loved had died affects her. Murphy could definitely see that when he'd seen her 2051 self. What he sees of her now is definitely different from before but the sense of familiarity is present.

Cleo stirs slightly, grabbing Murphy's shirt. She mumbles something indiscernible before passing out again and this time, her head's resting on his chest.

"Night, Cleo the Great." He jokes. He shifts his weight a little to help him be more comfortable. He doesn't sleep for a while. He focuses on the girl lying on his chest for a minute. She had a button nose, a few freckles splashed across her nose and cheeks, a pair of full lips on her heart-shaped face. She looks so innocent asleep.

His mind flashes back to when she'd smiled at Jules long ago. It was far from innocent. Then he thinks of the time she'd smiled at him. It was warm and kind.

And even as Murphy hates to admit to himself, he wanted to see that smile again. He wants to see her smile like that for him again.

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 **AN: The next chapter will feature Jaha and A.L.I.E., I'm very excited to write about that. From then on, the events of S3 will be au-ish but I will try to keep some of the original plot line.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except Cleo.**


	5. V Return

AN: Publishing on mobile is tough. Haha. Hope y'all like this chapter. Comments and criticisms are welcome! :)

"We're on our last box of food, Cleo." Murphy addresses, showing her the numerous boxes they'd opened and emptied. Cleo sighs.

"Screw you, Jaha!" He yells, facing at the security camera.

Cleo squares up her shoulders. "I'm going to get this ready, Murphy. I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything." She says, taking the box from his hands. He nods mutely. He doesn't want to talk. Instead, he replays the videos of how the world ended. The last video is of Chris taking his life and Murphy debates if he should take the same route.

The gun had been untouched on the floor. Murphy picks it up, he didn't want to leave Cleo alone but he's getting tired of being kept in here. Anywhere is better than here.

"John!" Murphy's gun-clad hand drops. He sobs quietly, eyes downcast.

"Murphy, please don't." She begs.

Cleo sits beside him, pushing him the bowl of his share of oats.

"Why would I take orders from you?" He retorts. Cleo doesn't respond but she takes his hand, the one of with the gun and takes the gun away.

"Why did you get that?" Murphy looks at her. Concern is etched all over her face. She tosses the gun away.

"I was gonna jump off of a building once. I know how it feels." She doesn't meet his gaze. It's too intense.

"What changed your mind?" She stiffens at his question.

"He did." She pauses. "Jules made me see that carrying all of the burden was worth it. I owe him so much."The scene replays in Cleo's mind. He had saved her.

"You still think about him a lot." He says this without malice or accusation but as if he'd observed it.

"I do. But I have to deal with the fact that he's gone. I have nothing left to live for but you do." She looks at him now, giving him a small smile.

"Your pep talk is depressing." He admits.

"Yeah, but I have a point, don't I?" He nods at this.

"Don't get too smug now, but you're right." He replies.

"If I hadn't stopped you then we wouldn't have gotten out." Her smile is wider now. Warm. He shifts slightly. He isn't used to it but he wants to see that smile all the time.

"What are you talking about?" He asks, confusion etching on his features.

"The doors are open, Murphy." She breathes. "We're free."

"You're kidding me, right?" He's baffled and doesn't want to get his hopes up.

She shakes her head. "Nope, let's go, Murphy!" He lets her go first and when they reach the door, she's right. Little light seeps into the room.

He pushes it without hesitation. "C'mon, let's get outta here." Murphy says, waiting for her to step down. She takes a small leap and takes in the area.

"Nothing's the same." She mumbles.

"Well, isn't it a sign?" He questions. She gives him a confused face. "You get a fresh start, Cleo. Take it." Cleo realizes this and hugs him.

"Thank you," she says as she released him from the quick hug. "you kept me sane." He laughs.

"Likewise." She smiles at him warmly. His favorite look on her.

"The mansion should be right ahead. Follow me." She instructs. Murphy doesn't question it. She leads the both of them to the front of a huge mansion.

Murphy doesn't wait for her and storms inside. If Jaha is in fact alive and enjoying the mansion while he had rotted in the bunker, he's going to make sure Jaha regrets it.

He had been right. He opens the door and finds Jaha standing in front of him, with a woman in red next to him.

"Hello John, there's so much we have to talk about but so little time." He greets with an all-knowing smile.

"Murphy!" Cleo exclaims, chasing after him. Her expression drastically shifts once she'd seen A.L.I.E..

"Cleo, let's get out of here!" Murphy declares, taking her arm and dragging her away. Her eyes stay on A.L.I.E..

"No wait," At her urgent tone, Murphy lets go of her arm. The woman in red shifts, turning her attention on Cleo.

"Hello, Cleo. Welcome back." Cleo becomes angry.

"You are the reason why I'm back here. YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!" She screams at A.L.I.E., who doesn't even flinch.

"What is she talking about?" Jaha asks.

"Her failure in keeping her life together causes her to blame me for her misfortune." A.L.I.E. says.

Murphy turns to Cleo for answers but she keeps a blank face. "Define victim-blaming, A.L.I.E."

"Victim-blaming is a behavior complex wherein a person is thought to be at fault for their accident or misfortune." A.L.I.E. replies.

"Now tell me if I'm at fault for being frozen." Cleo retorts.

"I am afraid I cannot provide such opinions because it is another complex human behavior that is not available in my system." The hologram says.

"What I can do is bring back who you've lost. In the City of Light." She turns toward Murphy. "I can also help you, John. Join us and you'll be in the City."

Cleo snorts. "Your virtual simulation of a city isn't an alternative. Do not listen to her." She looks at Jaha.

"This is my destiny, Cleo. I will bring you all to the City of Light soon enough." He declares. "I will save us all."

"You are out of your mind, Jaha." Murphy says. All of a sudden, his vision blurs and he falls on the floor. He couldn't see but he hears the thud of Cleo's body too.

He wakes up with Cleo still fast asleep across him. He gives himself a quick evaluation and discovers that someone had cleaned him up. Cleo's clean too. All dressed in a deep blue dress with black flat shoes.

"Hello again, John. Eat." Jaha points to the apple by the side table. He's with the woman in red again. Instead of eating said apple, he throws it toward the woman. The apple drops to the floor, waking up Cleo.

"Cleo is awake. She can help us, Thelonious." A.L.I.E. informs him.

"No, you can't make me." Cleo spits. "I saw you end of the world once, I can't let you get it away with it a second time."

"Well you heard her. We're not gonna be slaves to a holographic bitch in a red dress," Murphy retorts "You've gone crazy, Jaha and we're not interested in your cult." He adds.

 **AN: Suggestions are welcome too, feel free to send reviews! :) I hope y'all had a great day/night. Thanks for reading!**


	6. VI The Plan

**AN: I'm uploading these chapters through mobile so I apologize for the not so great formatting. I hope you like this chapter. Reviews are really helpful! ;) Huehuehue.**

"We have to be logical about this, Murphy." Cleo states. "If we make a wrong move, we'd be targets." He nods at this. They had been talking in hushed tones ever since they stepped out of the mansion. They are now standing by the shoreline, devising a plan.

"What do you suggest we do?" He queries. He had never been the type for long-term planning.

"We give them our devotion first." She slowly says, as if weighing other options.

"Wait. What?" He bursts into a semi-rage, he didn't want to be anyone's slave at all. Not again.

"Listen to me, if we do that for a temporary time—" He cuts her off.

"It'll buy us time." She nods. "We just have to get them out of our sight once we leave this island." She adds.

Before he could say anything, a bellowing "John!" startled them both. It's Jaha.

"What're you doing here, Jaha?" Murphy looks at him suspiciously.

"I just came to give you these," Jaha walks toward them and presents a chip on each of his hands.

"No pain, no hate, no envy." Jaha smiles.

"No thanks," He interrupts disdainfully.

"John…" Jaha trails off.

"No. Pain, hate, envy. Those are the ABCs of me. You get rid of them and there's nothing left, so why don't you get that thing out of my face?" He turns away, slowly walking away from the older man.

"Just think about it, John."Jaha calls out. Cleo steos out toward Jaha this time, giving herself a quick reminder of what to do.

"We're willing to offer you our service, Jaha. As long as you give Murphy and I time to think about our decision. We will take the chip as soon as we are ready." The old man seems convinced by this answer and hands her the chips instead.

"We have to carry on with our mission now," Jaha states. Cleo nods at this and stalks away to Murphy.

A boat docks by the shore, with a woman and two men. Murphy's face lights up seeing Emori up ahead. Cleo's face turns sour for a moment as soon as she sees his face. He turns to her and says, " We can trust her, sort of." He laughs to himself. But all she reciprocates is a shaky smile.

"Let's go then," she walks with him to the boat.

They sail until daylight. That's when she's introduced to Emori, a tan, long-haired young woman.

"So, John tells me he found you in the bunker." Emori starts the conversation. Cleo blinks owlishly and goes to her habit of playing with her necklaces.

"Yeah, he found me. Weeks before we got out." Cleo's tone is clipped, not harsh but she didn't really feel like talking to anyone.

"I'm Emori. You're Cleo, right?" Cleo hums in agreement.

"This place had been my home once." Cleo looks out to the sea, almost wistfully. As if doing so will bring back the cities that have been reclaimed by the earth.

"How did it look like?" Emori asks, she seems rather skeptical but still curious.

"Hey," Murphy joins their conversation.

"Hey." Emori replies, flashing a small smile toward Murphy.

"Hi." Cleo murmurs.

"She's about to tell me how this place looked like 97 years ago." Emori speaks up.

"It wasn't as green. Little trees. Tall buildings. Some have 10 floors. Others 20. Even 100 floors if you were in the main cities." Cleo's voice cracks at the mention of these buildings. And Murphy knew exactly why.

"The people?" Emori presses. Cleo freezes.

"You wouldn't like them." Murphy says, Cleo feels relieved he had interrupted.

"Oh." Emori looks deep in thought but dismissed it.

"We're docking now. Then a trip to the dead zone."

"Dead zone?" Cleo asks as they all step down from the boat.

"Sand dunes, landmines, and stray people." Murphy explains.

"We'll be on foot from here. Hope you're okay with that, Princess." Cleo looks ready to protest but instead bites back.

"I ran through cities back then. This'll be easy." Murphy looks at her as if she'd grown another head. She gives him a look back that says _"we'll talk about this later"_. He doesn't press and instead keeps mum.

Jaha and Emori's brother, Otan head off "for a walk" like the former had suggested. Gideon, the weird older man with them is quiet, kneeling and saying nothing.

Emori begins explaining how A.L.I.E. had recruited them. Drones, she'd said. But she mentions about having other people she works for. Cleo doesn't pay much attention as she is lost in her own thoughts.

She carefully takes the case holding A.L.I.E. and tries to make a run for it. But the old man, Gideon takes her by her throat, choking her. Despite her attempts at fighting him, and Murphy coming to help, it only allowed her to get out of Gideon's grasp.

"There is no pain in the City of Light." He declares.

Emori didn't think twice about stabbing his neck and killing him.

"You killed him." Cleo looks at his dead body gushing out blood. At this, Jaha and Otan immediately return, knowing the plan had been changed.

"I'll hurt her if you don't give that back, Emori." Otan holds Cleo in a vice grip. He and Jaha had returned from their walk already and didn't really pay attention to Gideon lying lifelessly right behind them.

"Let her go!" Murphy holds the case right by the water. "I'll destroy this if you don't listen to me." Murphy warns. Otan releases his hold of Cleo. Cleo runs up to Murphy, giving him a quick thanks. They head to the boat, Murphy dumping the bag in the water before they leave.

"It's a different world now, Princess. Get used to it. Let's go." Emori says. Cleo hates how Emori had mockingly called her 'Princess' but she let it slide. She needs the woman anyway.

"C'mon Cleo. The other two are chipped. We can't stay here." Cleo nods feebly at his words.

Emori starts the boat up and they sail away.

97 years later and it's still a dog eat dog world. Different methods, same reasons. Old habits do die hard. Cleo sighs, looking out to the sea.

"Where are we going?" Cleo asks after a long moment of silence. She's been quiet since Emori had kissed Murphy's cheek. She had pretended not to see it but she did anyway.

"Polis. We're going to look for more tech." Emori answers.

 **AN: Thanks for reading, y'all. Thanks for the follows and faves as well. Y'all are awesome! :)** **Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Cleo.**


	7. VII Wild Ones

**AN: Hi guys, it's been a while since I've updated but here's chapter 7! Hope you like it. Reviews and criticisms are welcome!**

They spend days out in the wild, Emori and Murphy being thick as thieves and Cleo being the back up person in case things went awry and also because her blue hair just really stood out. Usually it never did go awry so she's merely tagging along as Emori and Murphy look like they're in wonderland together.

She sees how Emori looks at Murphy and it makes her uneasy. Murphy seems to be at ease with her too. The whole thing just made Cleo feel left out and alone.

Murphy paints himself with rabbit's blood to appear injured, which had been the primary disguise to lure in scavengers, who'd they'd steal from.

The plan went on as usual, Murphy appearing injured on the ground, Emori distracting the scavengers, and Cleo taking what she could. It isn't as different as her life before so she didn't really complain. At least there's some sort of familiarity left. Cleo puts down the stuff she'd taken a little far from the wagon and comes back to take more.

"Let's go back to the cave. We've got enough for the day. And John, we have to talk about getting my brother back." Emori declares.

"You know that's not a survivor's move, Emori." Murphy replies. Cleo fades into the quiet, not bothering to join them. Emori didn't even think of her opinion is, which could've helped Murphy change his mind.

"Cleo?" Murphy calls out to her. His voice just pains her. Reminds her of the person she'd lost.

"We have to go before sundown." He continues. She nods absent-mindedly, following their trail.

"Hope you aren't too sleepy, princess. This place isn't exactly a place to relax and unwind." Emori says this almost condescendingly. And from Cleo's experience, it's something she's heard over and over before.

"I am an insomniac. And don't you think having 97 years worth of sleep is enough, no?" Cleo holds her composure not allowing Emori to see her get angry just yet.

"Yeah, a long time to sleep, sleeping beauty." Emori snickers. Murphy laughs along.

Cleo keeps quiet even when they've reached the cave. She keeps to herself, warming up to the fire while Emori and Murphy plan out the details. It doesn't take long and Murphy finds his way to her.

"You okay?" He asks. "You aren't normally that rude." He says this frankly. And that's what Cleo likes about him. His honesty.

"She thinks she knows about how it feels knowing the world is going to end one day and you're going to be part of it." Cleo rambles. She's frustrated and tired of keeping it all in.

"She thinks I'm a privileged princess incapable of surviving but I'm here, aren't I?" Murphy isn't sure of what to say since she's never really revealed any personal details about her life. She'd mentioned tidbits and those weren't enough to create a whole picture. "I used to steal from people."

"Why?" He's curious. She didn't seem like the kind to steal, because she looks like she has it all.

"People take from people. They take from everyone until nothing is left. I wanted them to feel the same."

"Well then, how do you feel about taking for yourself? We need some other supplies." He proposes.

"I miss the chase, let's do it." Cleo flashes him a smirk.

He gets caught off guard. What else did he not know about her?

Murphy prepares himself again for the next steal. He's lying, pretending to be injured on the ground as three men make their way toward him. As he is about to do the routine, the men take him by force instead.

"Where is the other girl with you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Murphy spits out, checking the vicinity for any sign of Cleo or Emori. He sees Emori running away and he sighs in relief. She's safe. But as for Cleo, he couldn't spot her.

"Just show us where the girl is and we'll be peaceful with you." One of the men suggests, eyes scanning the area for a sign of a girl.

"She ran away. No point looking for her." Murphy argues, earning him a jab in the stomach.

Cleo weighs her options. She'd get lost in this forest alone. And Emori's left them for dead. Her eyes spot a symbol in one of the packs of the men. Becca's company logo. Cleo knows the big risk of doing this but it could be the only way to get out unscathed.

"Listen, I'll give you this," Cleo holds up one of the two chips, making sure they see the logo clearly. Murphy looks up, astonished at the turn of events. Cleo is right ahead of him, saving him. "and you let him go." She orders.

The men look at the chip in wonder. "Where did you get that?" One asks.

"No point asking where. I know you want it." She pauses. "All I ask is his freedom for two of these." She replies.

"Not gonna happen, little girl." One man sneers.

"Get her!" Cleo scrambles to run but eventually two versus one becomes unfair and she's caught.

"We're taking that." A man takes the chip from her hands. She looks over to Murphy who has an unreadable expression on his face.

They stay tied up while the men lead them to a place called 'Polis'. It's nighttime when Cleo decides to break the silence.

"I'm sorry, Murphy." Cleo apologizes.

"You should've just ran away." He says.

"I couldn't leave you behind." Cleo confesses. "I'd get killed out there. My chances of living are higher with you nearby."

"You sure about that?" He almost laughs. "I'm a living magnet for trouble, Cleo."

"So am I." She replies. "Better to attract trouble together than alone, no?"

"Not sure about that since I've always been solo." He answers. He briefly wonders how Cleo attracted trouble way back when.

"Not anymore. I'll be wherever you are." She promises. Again, she catches him off-guard.

"Why me? Why are you so nice to me?" He asks, perplexed.

"Because I owe you. And you deserve it." She replies. He isn't convinced. She scoots closer to him and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you." The words feel foreign in his tongue, but if anyone deserved such words from him, it's Cleo.

 **AN: How did I do?! Please tell me! Lmao. Thanks for reading btw. I appreciate it. :)**


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